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- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES CARPENTER, OF MORAVIA, NEW YORK.

BARBED FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 258,888, dated June 6,1882.

Application filed October 7, 1881. (N0 model ,of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Barbed Fence-Wire,ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a novel construction of fence-wire which is capableof adjusting itself to the expansion and contraction under the variations in the temperature of the weather, and thus preventing to a great extent the sagging of the wire incident to the expan: sion of the same, as well as the breaking of the wire or its fastenings on the posts by undue strain caused by contraction, said wire also possessing the advantages of filling a greater space in the fence and being more conspicuous than ordinary fence-wire, and less liable to twist in unrolling it from the reel and securing it to the fence-posts, and is therefore far more convenient than the majority of fence-wires heretofore used.

The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, where Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 an end view, of the improved fencewire and its attachment to the post.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. i

A represents the fence-wire, which I slightly compress or flatten into an elliptic or oval form in cross'section, as seen in Fig. 2. I bend said wire serpentine or into a series of waves, B B, in the direction of its length and in plane parallel to the greater diameter of the wire, said bents allowing the wire to expand and contract, and thus adjustitself, and at the same time filling a greater space in the fence and rendering the wire more conspicuous, as hereinbefore set forth. At the center of each of the successive bents I provide the tention of the body of the wire, which may be made either simultaneously with the manufac' ture of the wire or pressed out of the wire by suitable dies.

By applying the barbs to the highest and lowest points of the successive waves of the serpentine wire the projection of thebarbs is rendered more prominent, and therefore said barbs may be made sh rter than is usually required, and are consequently less liable to injure live stock coming in contact with them.

By attaching the described wire A to the.

fence-post P by a staple, D, or other suitable fastening applied to the wire at the highest apd lowest points of two reversed bents, B B, said wire is' held with its greater diameter and with its bents in a vertical plane, thereby stiffeningthe same and preventing to a'great extent the sagging thereof".

Having described my invention, what I claim' as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. A fence-wire of oval or elliptic form in cross-section, and bent serpentine or waving longitudinally and in the same plane as the greater diameter of the said wire, asshown and set forth.

2. A fence-wire bent serpentine or waving in the direction of its length, and having projecting from the alternate upward and downward bents or curves respectively upward and downward projecting barbs.

3. A fence-wire bent serpentine or waving in the direction of its length, and secured with its bents in a vertical plane by fastenings to the post at the highest and lowest points of two or more of the bents in the wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto signed my name and affixed my soul, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of blew York, this 1st day of October, 1881.

JAMES CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

WM. 0. RAYMOND, RALPH G. BARNES. 

